Internships Also known as Work Based Learning or

Internships (Also known as Work. Based Learning or Placement) From National SAE Web Site Dr. Gary Moore Revised May 2007 by the Ag Ed Leadership Revision Committee

What is an Internship? • Internship (placement) programs involve the employment of students on farms and ranches, in agricultural businesses, in school laboratories or in community facilities to provide a "learning by doing" environment. • This is done outside of normal classroom hours • It may be paid or non-paid employment.

Why Do An Internship? • One of the best ways to learn something is to perform the task in a real world situation. Nothing beats the real thing.

Why Do An Internship? • Earn Money. While some internships may not pay a salary, most do.

Why Do An Internship? • Can lead to a real job in the future. If you do a good job on your internship, the place where you work may want to hire you permanently after you graduate.

Why Do An Internship? • Establishes a network of contacts. By working in an internship, you come into contact with new people. You never can tell when one of these contacts may be able to open a door for you in the future.

Why Do An Internship? • May be recognized in the FFA Proficiency Award Program. The National FFA Organization gives proficiency awards for students in both entrepreneurship and placement. For each proficiency award area, such as floriculture, students who own floral enterprises and those who do an internship in a floral enterprise are recognized.

Internship Factors to Consider • Thinking, planning and effort is involved in a successful Student School internship. • Since an internship is a three way partnership between the Business student, the school and a business certain guidelines need to be followed.

Internship Guideline 1 • The internship should be agriculturally related.

Internship Guideline 2 • There should be supervision and instruction on the job by the employer. One of the reasons for the internship is to learn. If the student is in a situation where there is no supervisor, it will be difficult to learn.

Internship Guideline 3 • Students should have completed previous classes in agriculture in order to be in an internship. Most agricultural businesses expect the intern to already possess some knowledge of agriculture.

Internship Guideline 4 • One should fill out a job application form to have an internship. Filling out a job application is an important skill to be learned.

Internship Guideline 5 • The person providing the internship should have the opportunity to interview two or more students and select the individual for the internship. Students gain interviewing skills and the employer has a choice.

Internship Guideline 6 • A training agreement should be in writing and all parties should have a copy. A training agreement stipulates hours to be worked, pay, etc. This needs to be clear to everybody at the start of the internship.

What is a Training Agreement? • A written statement documenting the: – hours – pay – student responsibilities – teacher responsibilities – employer responsibilities regarding the placement of a student.

Internship Guideline 7 • A training plan should be in writing and all parties should have a copy. A training plan identifies exactly what the student will learn. This prevents the student from performing only menial tasks on the job.

What is a Training Plan? • A written document specifying: – Skills and tasks the student will learn to perform on the job – Who will teach skill or task (employer, teacher or both) – Safety instruction was provided by both teacher and employer – Level of mastery and date accomplished • All parties involved sign the plan

Internship Guideline 8 • The student should be involved in a variety of activities in the internship situation. This should be spelled out in the training plan. This helps insure a quality internship experience.

Internship Guideline 9 • The agriculture teacher should supervise the intern regularly.

Internship Guideline 10 • The employer should have a say in the evaluation of the student

Internship Guideline 11 • The student should maintain current, accurate records on the internship experience. Some states are now requiring a student portfolio for all high school graduates. This could be part of that portfolio.

Internships are Serious Business • It should be obvious by now that an internship is a serious activity. It is just not fun and games. If you are still interested in doing an internship, there are some legal things you need to know.

Legal Considerations in Internships Work-Based Learning (Placement)

Labor Regulations • Federal and state labor laws regulate employment of youth • In order to protect yourself, you need to be aware of some of these regulations because: – There are certain hazardous tasks you are not allowed by law to perform – There are restrictions on the number of hours you can work

Federal Law

Employment Certificate • In most states all youth under the age of 18 who are employed must have an employment certificate • Obtained from County Social Services (or in some counties from the school) • Not required for students who volunteer

Employment Certificate • Youth mowing lawns for private individuals don’t need one • There must be an employer-employee relationship • New certificate required for each employer • Note: Although the law requires employment certificates many employers are lax (due to ignorance)

Can 13 year olds work? • Cannot be employed by an employer – However, they may deliver newspapers – They can work in parents’ business – Can work on a farm if their parents work there also.

Work Hours

Work Restrictions - 14 & 15 • Can’t work more than 3 hours a day when school is in session or more than 8 hours a day when school is not in session • Can’t work more than 18 hours a week when school is in session, or more than 40 hours when school is not in session • Can work only outside school hours

However, • If a 14 or 15 year old is enrolled in a school based work experience program: – They can work during the school day – They can work 23 hours a week – They can work in some occupations otherwise prohibited

Agricultural Occupations • One section of the labor laws govern employment in agricultural occupations. This is defined as those who: – Raise livestock, bees, fur-bearing animals, and poultry – Cultivate the soil, grow or harvest crops – Grow or harvest crops as employees of a contractor

Agricultural Occupations • 12 & 13 years may work on farms where their parents are also employed • 14 is the minimum age for employment outside school hours in any agricultural occupation not declared hazardous • 16 is the minimum age for employment in any agricultural occupation declared hazardous

Agricultural Occupations

Minors under 16 cannot: • Operate a tractor over 20 horsepower – but there is an exemption for students in a bona fide agricultural education training program

Minors under 16 cannot: • Operate or assist in the operation of a corn picker, cotton picker, grain combine, hay baler, feed grinder, power post-hole digger, feed grinder, etc. – but there is an exemption for students in a bona fide agricultural education training program

Minors under 16 cannot: • Operate or assist in the operation of earthmoving equipment, fork lift, potato combine, or power saws. – but there is an exemption for students in a bona fide agricultural education training program

Minors under 16 cannot: • Work in a yard, pen or stall occupied by a bull, boar, stallion or cow and sow with newborn. – but there is an exemption for students in a bona fide agricultural education training program

Minors under 16 cannot: • Work with timber over 6 inches in butt diameter. – but there is an exemption for students in a bona fide agricultural education training program

Minors under 16 cannot: • Work from a ladder or scaffold over 20 ft high. – but there is an exemption for students in a bona fide agricultural education training program

Minors under 16 cannot: • Drive a bus, truck or automobile when transporting passengers. – There are no student exemptions

Minors under 16 cannot: • Work inside a silo, manure pit, or fruit storage area. – There are no exemptions

Minors under 16 cannot: • Handle or apply agricultural chemicals with the words Danger, Poison or Warning on the label. – There are no exemptions

Minors under 16 cannot: • Handle or use blasting agents. – There are no exemptions

Minors under 16 cannot: • Transport, transfer or apply anhydrous ammonia. – There are no exemptions

Exemptions? • Student-learners in a bona fide agricultural education program are exempt from restrictions 1 -6 provided: – Such work is incidental to training, intermittent, for short periods of time and under supervision – Safety instruction is given by the school – A training plan is in place • Students who work for their parents are also exempt.

Hazardous Nonagricultural Occupations • Occupations that don’t qualify as agricultural occupations are considered as nonagricultural • There a numerous nonagricultural jobs that youth under the age of 18 can’t do. • Even though the federal government classifies the jobs as nonagricultural, several really are.

Minors under 18 cannot: • Be involved in manufacturing and storing explosives – There are no student exemptions

Minors under 18 cannot: • Operate a motor vehicle – There are no student exemptions

Minors under 18 cannot: • Work in coal mining – There are no student exemptions

Minors under 18 cannot: • Be engaged in logging and sawmilling – There are no student exemptions

Minors under 18 cannot: • Work with power-driven woodworking machines – but there is an exemption for students in a bona fide agricultural education training program

Minors under 18 cannot: • Work where there is exposure to radioactive substances – There are no student exemptions

Minors under 18 cannot: • Work with power-driven hoisting apparatus – There are no student exemptions

Minors under 18 cannot: • Work with power-driven metal-forming, punching and shearing machines – but there is an exemption for students in a bona fide agricultural education training program

Minors under 18 cannot: • Work in any type of mining – There are no student exemptions

Minors under 18 cannot: • Work in slaughtering, or meat-packing, processing or rendering – but there is an exemption for students in a bona fide agricultural education training program

Minors under 18 cannot: • Work with power-driven bakery machines – There are no student exemptions

Minors under 18 cannot: • Work with power-driven paper-products machines – but there is an exemption for students in a bona fide agricultural education training program

Minors under 18 cannot: • Be involved in manufacturing brick, tile, and kindred products – There are no student exemptions

Minors under 18 cannot: • Use power-driven circular saws, band saws and guillotine shears – but there is an exemption for students in a bona fide agricultural education training program

Minors under 18 cannot: • Work in wrecking, demolition and ship breaking operations – There are no student exemptions

Minors under 18 cannot: • Work in roofing operations – but there is an exemption for students in a bona fide agricultural education training program

Minors under 18 cannot: • Work in excavating operations – but there is an exemption for students in a bona fide agricultural education training program

How Do Exemptions Work? • Apprentices are exempt in certain occupations • Student-Learners (16 & 17) are exempt in certain occupations provided specific conditions are met (see next slide)

Student Learner Exemptions • Student-Learners (16 & 17) must be enrolled in a state approved educational program – Written Agreement • Work is incidental to the training • Such work is intermittent and under the supervision of a qualified and experienced person • Safety instruction is given in school and by the employer • There is a signed training plan

Generally, what can 14 & 15 olds do? • Office and clerical work • Selling, cashiering, etc. • Marking prices, assembling orders, packing and shelving • Bagging and carrying customer orders • Cleanup work (can’t use power mower) • General kitchen work

What can 14 & 15 olds do? • Working with cars (except tires & lifts) • Cleaning and packaging vegetables and fruits

Training Plans • It is imperative that any student placed on a job have a training plan – This helps assure a sound educational experience and is – Absolutely essential from a legal standpoint

Conclusions • Employment certificate is required • Training agreement is critical • Training plan with safety instruction is critical • Extreme care must be utilized in selecting training stations so that no federal or state laws are violated • There may be state laws in addition to federal laws to consider